Please Help Me

I was just trying to advance my timing and adjust the idle settings. When i put the Timing light on and was looking down at the wheel to establish the timing, the timing light seemed to be skipping!!! I'll try to explain it.... It went.... dat...dat...dat...dat...dat... ....dat...dat...dat... ... ...dat...dat...dat...dat...dat...dat...dat... ...dat...dat...dat you get the picture!

Is this normal? Are my ignition leads gone? Is there something else wrong?? Please please help!!!!

P.S. sorry about the DAT thing but is was the only way i could think of to explain it!:)

Also if i replace the ignition leads are second hand ones alright?

Anyone???????????

Originally posted by Primal SMX
I was just trying to advance my timing and adjust the idle settings. When i put the Timing light on and was looking down at the wheel to establish the timing, the timing light seemed to be skipping!!! I'll try to explain it.... It went.... dat...dat...dat...dat...dat... ....dat...dat...dat... ... ...dat...dat...dat...dat...dat...dat...dat... ...dat...dat...dat you get the picture!

Is this normal? Are my ignition leads gone? Is there something else wrong?? Please please help!!!!

P.S. sorry about the DAT thing but is was the only way i could think of to explain it!:)

Ermm... Well since no one else is responding I guess I'll try and have a go... Ummm, you warmed the car up properly first? The A/C was off? You disconnected the throttle position sensor? That's about all I can suggest.

Thanks jasestu!

Yea, i did all of that, i was just concerned that i might need to change the spark plug leads. I went to nissan and the mechanic told me that you dont need to change the leads until your car stops running due to them shorting out (grumpy prick he is). But looking through AF it seems that everyone changes them at 100 000km. Is this the same for the p11???????? Mine has just done 105 000km.

thanks

P.S. sorry about the dat dat thing but i cant explain it, it was just like the engine was skiping a beat or something.

Your leads will be fine, they should last a lifetime - they only tend to go if you play round with the spark plugs heaps. If the leads were faulty you'd notice a real sharp miss, especially when the engine is cold.
The da da daa thing, that was in reference to the light, not the sound of the motor right? You haven't already advanced the timing too far have you?

Thre dat dat dat was in reference to the light and the engine simultaniously. The timing is set back where it was when i first checked it. And yes i have played with the plug a shit load as the car hasn't run the best and found that it was the o2 sensor!!!:mad: One of the leads boot slips when i try to take it off the spark plug, anyway i ordered the leads from Nissan today and was quoted $131 plus gst. I did ask for the genuine Nissan item, this seems a little low priced to me as i have been quoted up to $320 before. I will check them out thoroughly before paying:rolleyes:

Thanks again for your reply.

How good is your timing light? Mine is a little old and does the same thing (skips here and there). I think it has something to do with some kind of electrical saturation or overheating in the strobe when they get a bit older. It goes great when first hooked up but starts skipping after awhile.

Its brand new and cost me $100. It was doing it in time to the motor. I am curious though about the timing seeing that it is the prototype SMX. Maybe someone had already advanced the timing?? It was on the last mark on the wheel!! I asked a Nissan mechanic and he said that that was 15 degrees, although i dont trust them as they are always too busy and probably find me annoying so give me the wrong answer!! I'm going down now to get the new leads then i'll try a little timing experiments!!!:D Will post back what i find.

Originally posted by Primal SMX
It was doing it in time to the motor. You mean the motor had a misfire in time with the skip in the timing light? In that case - check plugs, leads, cap and rotor. NGK plugs and Factory leads work best.

If your timing is over-advanced, the knock control may be momentarily retarding it. You can check the knock control/sensor by slowly advancing the timing to see that the ECU retards the timing at the onset of pinging.

It could have been the timing over advanced. I've started another thread on the ENGINE threads called My Timing Markings and there i've explained about the timing.

I did how ever get the new leads and the car ran and exalerated just a little bit smoother. My old ones were a bit wrecked anyway!

Thanks